1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to power seat switches and, and more specifically, to a low current power seat switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Front vehicle seats are positionable to a plurality of positions for accommodating a passenger's height, leg length, and comfort level. The seat may be adjusted in multiple directions such as forward/rearward, up/down, tilt forward/tilt rearward, and recline up/recline down to accommodate a specific occupant.
Front vehicle seats that are powered utilize one or more electrical motors for electrically adjusting the vehicle seat to the desired position. Vehicle power seats are adjustable from 4 to 8 directions, for example. Typically, a respective motor is dedicated for a bi-directional movement of the seat (i.e., a slide motor for forward/rearward, a reclining motor for backrest recline up/recline down, etc). At least one set of seat switches is commonly disposed on the side of a seat or on an inner door panel. A single switch can be utilized for controlling the movement of the seat in multiple directions. For example, if a seat is a 6-way powered seat, a switch assembly will include 3 seat switch actuators for controlling the 6 possible directions of seat movement. If a seat is an 8-way powered seat, an additional switch may be utilized including an additional switch actuator for controlling the additional bi-directional movement of the vehicle seat.
Power seat switches include relays that transfer high current supplied from the power supply to a respective motor. When the seat switch is activated by the driver, a contact snaps down on a B+contact (e.g., butt contact) thereby completing an electrical connection within the switch. The switch is designed such that a crisp snap occurs as the contactor makes contact. This provides the driver with a good “feel” and helps increase of the life of the electrical connection by reducing the time of the arc across the electrical connection. Drivers have become accustomed to this “feel” as it provides a tactile feedback to the driver to confirm that contact within the switch has been made.
Power seats may also include power seat memory modules for recalling the seat position of one or more drivers. This allows various drivers utilizing the same vehicle to store their desired seating position into the memory of the memory module so when either driver activates a memory button or the vehicle passively recognized the respective driver, the vehicle seat will automatically be adjusted to the desired seating position of the respective driver. This alleviates the respective driver from having to adjust the vehicle seat to each respective position. The memory module includes either a microprocessor with relays or solid state electronics for transferring high current draws to the power seat motor. The high current switch is used in combination with the memory module for powering the motor. However, having high current switching capabilities in both the memory module and high current switch is an excess of high current switching components required to power the motor which results in added cost.
A low current control signal could be used to generate a control signal to the memory module to control the transfer of power to the seat motor without transmitting high current through the switch. The butt contact as used in the high current switch is undesirable for low current applications. To reduce cost of the switch, a low current sliding contact switch would preferably be utilized. The sliding contact switch may include a flexible electrical contactor that slidingly contacts electrical traces for making the electrical contact. The sliding motion scrubs the contacts clean which maintains a good circuit in low current applications; however, low current switches such as the sliding contact switch generates no tactile feedback which the operator has become accustomed to.